Background Screening echocardiography (echo) has emerged as a potentially powerful tool for early diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease (RHD). The utility of screening echo hinges on the rate of RHD progression and the ability of penicillin prophylaxis to improve outcome. We report the longitudinal outcomes of a cohort of children with latent RHD and identify risk factors for unfavorable outcomes. Methods This was a prospective natural history study conducted under the Ugandan RHD registry. Children with latent RHD and ≥1 year of follow-up were included. All echos were re-reviewed by experts (2012 WHF criteria) for inclusion and evidence of change. Bi- and multi- variable logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier analysis, as well as Cox proportional hazard models were developed to search for risk factors for unfavorable outcome and compare progression-free survival between those treated and not treated with penicillin. Propensity and other matching methods with sensitivity analysis were implemented for the evaluation of the penicillin effect. Results Blinded review confirmed 227 cases of latent RHD: 164 borderline and 63 definite (42 mild, 21 moderate/severe). Median age at diagnosis was 12 years and median follow-up was 2.3 years (IQR 2.0–2.9). Penicillin prophylaxis was prescribed in 49.3% with overall adherence of 84.7%. Of children with moderate/severe definite RHD, 47.6% had echo progression (including 2 deaths), and 9.5% echo regression. Children with mild definite and borderline RHD showed 26% and 9.8% echo progression and 45.2% and 46.3% echo improvement respectively. Of those with mild definite RHD or borderline RHD, more advanced disease category, younger age, and morphological mitral valve features were risk factors for an unfavorable outcome. Conclusions Latent RHD is a heterogeneous diagnosis with variable disease outcomes. Children with moderate to severe latent RHD have poor outcomes. Children with both borderline and mild definite RHD are at substantial risk of progression. While long-term outcome remains unclear, the initial change in latent RHD may be evident during the first 1–2 years following diagnosis. Natural history data is inherently limited and a randomized clinical trial is needed to definitively determine the impact of penicillin prophylaxis on the trajectory of latent RHD.

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital anomaly in children. Over half of the deaths due to CHD occur in the neonatal period. Most children with unrepaired complex heart lesions do not live to celebrate their first birthday. We describe the spectrum of congenital heart disease in Uganda. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of children with CHD who presented to the Uganda Heart Institute (UHI), Mulago Hospital Complex from 2007 to 2014. Results: A total of 4621 children were seen at the UHI during the study period. Of these, 3526 (76.3%) had CHD; 1941(55%) were females. Isolated ventricular septal defect (VSD) was the most common CHD seen in 923 (27.2%) children followed by Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) 760 (22%) and atrial septal defects (ASD) 332 (9.4%). Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and Truncus arteriosus were the most common cyanotic heart defects (7% and 5% respectively). Dysmorphic features were diagnosed in 185 children, of which 61 underwent genetic testing (Down syndrome=24, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome n=10). Children with confirmed 22q11.2 deletion had conotruncal abnormalities. Conclusion: Isolated VSD and Tetralogy of Fallot are the most common acyanotic and cyanotic congenital heart defects. We report an unusually high occurrence of Truncus arteriosus. Keywords: Congenital heart disease; children; Uganda.